Stitched Teddy Bear Birthday Cake Recipe

Sure to appeal to crafters and bear lovers alike, this eye-catching confection will round out your party tastefully. Patty's mostly responsible for the innovative dessert here, thanks to the flavorful recipes for fudge cake and an edible concoction called chocolate clay she shared recently. In a way, so is Margaret Maddox, whose teddy bear crafts fill the previous pages. Our staff home economists borrowed her bear design, then combined both ideas to create the cake. You'll find this treat is rich in possibilities. You can easily double the recipe and bake two cakes for a larger gathering...top it with any kind of character you care to cut out....add a different saying simply by "writing" it on with frosting...or alter the colors to reflect the birthday girl's favorites.

Directions

In a bowl, combine dry ingredients. Make three wells with a spoon; pour oil into one, vinegar into another and vanilla into the third. Slowly pour water over all. Mix on low speed until thoroughly combined (the batter will be thin). Pour into a greased and floured 9-in. round baking pan. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes; remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Place cake on a large platter or covered 12-in. board. Frost cake with 1 cup frosting to seal crumbs; let dry. For white clay, combine vanilla chips and the corn syrup just until blended. Spread on waxed paper to 1/4-in. thickness (about an 8-in. square). Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature for 2-3 hours or until dry to the touch. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and let stand overnight. Use immediately to store up to 2 weeks. Prepare chocolate clay in the same manner. Knead each clay for 1-2 minutes or until glossy before using. Set aside 1 teaspoon of white clay. Place remaining clay between waxed paper and roll into a 13-in. circle. Remove top sheet of waxed paper. If scalloped edges are desired, place a 12-in. tart pan upside down over clay and press gently; remove scraps. Center clay circle over cake; remove waxed paper. Drape over cake edges to seal. Remove reserved white clay between waxed paper to form a 2-1/2-in. x 1-3/4-in. rectangle. Cut out tummy and muzzle using bear invitation pattern; set aside. With the scraps, form two 1/4-in. balls for ears and two 1/8-in. balls for eyes; set aside. Place 2 tablespoons chocolate clay between waxed paper; roll into a 5-in. x 4-in. rectangle. Remove top sheet and cut out bear using invitation patter. Center bear on cake; remove waxed paper. Place ears, eyes, muzzle and tummy on bear. With scraps, form a 2-in. needle, a 1/4-in. ball for nose, two 1/8-in. balls for sides of mouth, and two thin ropes to create mouth and line from nose to mouth. Place needle on cake. Place nose and mouth on muzzle. For hoop, roll remaining chocolate clay into a 30-in. rope. Cut 1/4 in from one end; set aside. Flatten rope with a rolling pin to form a 3/4-in. wide strip. Wrap around cake and overlap ends to secure. shape 1/4-in. piece into a 1/2-in.circle; place where ends overlap. Cut a small hole in the corner of a plastic or pastry bag; insert round tip. Add 1 tablespoon of frosting. Pipe eyebrows and stitching around bear's body. Tint remaining frosting red. Prepare a second bag and insert round tip fill with red frosting. Pipe stitching around tummy, "happy birthday" and thread going through eye of needle. Cut cake with a serrated knife.Yield: 12 servings.

Originally published as Stitched Teddy Bear Birthday Cake in Country Woman
January/February 1998, p43